Crow Point Lighthouse

Crow Point Lighthouse stands at the southern tip of Braunton Burrows, a vast sand-dune system on the North Devon coast. Braunton Burrows is England’s largest dune system and one of its most important ecological sites, home to more than 470 plant species and rare creatures such as the Amber Sandbowl Snail. The shifting sands once buried medieval woods, traces of which were uncovered when dunes collapsed in the 17th century. A lifeboat station operated here from 1848 until 1918, serving vessels on the Taw and Torridge estuary. During the Second World War the dunes became a vast training ground for American troops preparing for the Normandy landings. Lieutenant Colonel Paul W. Thompson chose Braunton Burrows because its beaches closely matched those of Omaha, with similar sand, slope and tides. Concrete replicas of landing craft still lie half-buried at the southern end, and a wartime road known as the American Road crosses the dunes to Crow Point. The Ministry of Defence still uses parts of the site for exercises, though most areas are open to the public. The lighthouse itself is a small steel tower built in 1954 and now powered by solar panels. It shows a sector light that guides vessels safely into the estuary, operated by Trinity House. Nearby, the remains of older leading lights recall a time when wooden towers and movable beacons guided ships through shifting sands. The wide dunes stretch northwards, offering long walks and views across the estuary towards the sea.